


Kagome’s Fateful Choice

by NeutronStarChild



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Dark, Demon Subjugation, Divergent Timelines, During Canon, It's a Wonderful Life, Multi, Soul Bond, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24375307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild/pseuds/NeutronStarChild
Summary: After she realizes that Inuyasha has chosen Kikyo, Kagome returns the Shikon shards to the Sengoku Jidai in the dead of night, and vows she will remain in her time and never return. But there are some choices capable of setting the world on a different, darker path. When Kagome wakes up to an entirely new future, only she, with the help of Kikyo (who is now a fixture in her soul), can undo the tragedies to which her single choice gave birth.(events take place between Manga chapters 175 and 176)Nominated forBest Darkin 2020 Q3 by theFeudal Connection!Multi-chapter art commission bythornedravenAdditional art commission byPink-Hudycan be seen inChapter 4
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome & Kikyou, Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, InuYasha & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 48
Kudos: 89
Collections: Divergent Adventures of Inuyasha





	1. The Choice to Leave

Kagome curled herself into a tight little ball on her bed, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes. It was always going to end this way. The moment Kikyo was resurrected, Inuyasha had been lost to her forever. She understood that, and still, it hurt so very much to actually see it in front of her. He would never have enough room in his heart for them both. Kagome glanced at the jewel shards sitting on her desk. She would have to bring them back - maybe say goodbye to her friends. She belonged on this side of the well, and Inuyasha had Kikyo for all his shard detecting needs. It was better this way.

It was a little past sunset - maybe if she did it now, she could sneak through the well without anyone knowing she'd been there. She could slip the shards to Kaede and ask that they be given to Kikyo for safekeeping. She hoped that Kikyo had abandoned her plans to give the shards to Naraku…

Kagome sat up in her bed, and let out a shuddering sigh. Yes, going back tonight was the right call. It would limit the pain. It would be her way of giving Inuyasha the freedom to return to Kikyo, like he wanted to. She could head back through the well again months down the line when she was sure Inuyasha was gone to say her goodbyes to the rest of her friends. Cowardly? Perhaps. But at this moment, Kagome did not have room in her heart for the pain of watching Inuyasha walk away. She needed to make a clean break, and would return once her wounds had had a chance to heal.

With her newfound resolve, Kagome dressed and grabbed the shards. The trip to the other side could be fast. She thought about writing a note to each of her friends, but decided against it. Her returning the shards would signal a finality that they would understand. She was always a weight around their necks as it was. Kikyo was a much stronger fighter. Her leaving meant that Inuyasha would only have one person he needed to protect.

_It is better this way._ Why did the words feel so hollow and heavy on her heart? She knew it was better this way, better that she not return and give everyone more headaches and heartache than necessary. She knew how much she would miss them - Kaede's wisdom, Miroku's wit, Sango's determination, Shippo's joy, Kirara's spirit and Inuyasha. _Inuyasha._ She would miss getting to see him grow, see him open up to people, see him fight for others. But this was the way it had to be.

As Kagome climbed through the well, she sighed. She half expected Inuyasha to be there. But why would he be? He had chosen Kikyo.

Kagome walked on leaden feet to Kaede's hut, making sure to keep herself hidden. She didn't think she had the emotional capacity to talk to anyone but Kaede right now. Not when she knew what she had to do. She was relieved to find that there was still soft light coming from Kaede's hut. She peeked inside, and was further relieved to see that the old woman was alone.

"Kaede?" Kagome entered quietly.

"Kagome, what brings you here tonight child?" Kaede studied Kagome carefully, her voice giving away that she suspected Kagome's intent.

"I brought over the Shikon shards that were on my side of the well," Kagome handed them to Kaede, "Please just make sure that they are given to Kik… the right person."

"I take this to mean you do not intend to return?" Kaede asked, not quite able to mask the sadness in her voice.

"I'm just a burden on everyone at this point," Kagome replied, not wanting to divulge further, "The Shikon shards would be much safer in more… capable hands."

"I am sad to have to say goodbye, but I do not begrudge you your choice child," Kaede spoke the words carefully, "Please be safe. And if you can, I know that we would all love to see you again. When the time is right."

"Thank you Kaede," Kagome bowed, mostly to hide the tears that were coming into her eyes.

Kagome left Kaede's hut and sprinted back to the well. She felt her throat tighten almost to the point she could not breathe, but she did not stop running. Only a few hundred more meters to go, and then she would be able to fall apart. As the well came into view, Kagome collapsed in tears. She knew she made the right choice, knew that if she'd stayed her broken heart would have consumed her completely. Yet, something inside of her pulled at her, told her that going back through the well would be a grievous mistake. That Inuyasha needed her. But that of course was not true. He had Kikyo. He did not need Kagome. Kagome was a useful Plan B - able to detect shards, but without the masterful skill and finesse of Kikyo. Everyone was better off without her carrying out the quest when Kikyo was able to. And yet, her soul kept trying to pull her away from the well, back into the village. Back to Inuyasha. Back to her friends.

She shook her head. No, she needed to go home. She did not belong in this time. Kikyo had returned, this was Kikyo's time, and it was Kikyo's fight, and Inuyasha's heart was Kikyo's. Kagome was just an inexperienced girl out of her place and out of her time.

So she jumped into the well and returned to her family's shrine. She managed to stumble back into her bedroom, and was careful to pull the blankets over her head before she cried herself to sleep.

When Kagome awoke in the morning, everything felt off, _wrong._ Her eyes were blurry, but she felt some sort of presence in the room with her. _Inuyasha?!_ No. It was different. As it took form, Kagome recognized the long flowing black hair, the porcelain skin, the sad eyes and the miko outfit. _Kikyo._

"Wha- what are you doing here?" Kagome looked at the form of the miko in her bedroom.

"Kagome, something has gone terribly wrong. You sense it too." Kikyo answered.

"Kagome?" Kagome's door opened, to reveal her mother. Mama Higurashi did not seem to notice Kikyo at all, then proceeded to walk right through her, "I heard you crying last night, is everything okay?"

"I… don't know Mama," Kagome tried to hide the shock on her face as she looked at the two women, now superposed atop one another, "Um, is there anyone here?"

"Not today, only family, did you expect someone dear?" Mama Higurashi simply shrugged, causing Kagome even further confusion.

"N-No… I suppose not. Maybe Inuyasha." Kagome said the words, looking at Kikyo's impassive face as she said it.

"I warned you not to bring him over here anymore, you know it is _not safe_ ," Mama Higurashi said severely, "You promised Kagome. I don't want him to get mixed up in… the trade."

What was she talking about? Kagome shuddered. That sense of wrongness washed over her again.

"Don't worry Mama, I don't think Inuyasha will ever come back," as Kagome said it, it felt completely true, "I need some time to myself today to… study. I'll probably just grab a snack for breakfast if that's okay."

"Okay dear. I love you," Mama Higurashi planted a kiss on Kagome's forehead and left her room.

"What is going on?" Kagome rounded on Kikyo, "Am I the only person who can see you?"

"Yes." Kikyo replied, "I'm the part of your soul that resided in the resurrected Kikyo until she died. I have returned to you."

_This didn't happen… the first time. Why is it different this time?_ Kagome thought, only to be surprised to find Kikyo nodding. Apparently Kikyo could hear her thoughts.

"I don't know. But Kagome, something was done that I believe you need to rectify," Kikyo answered, "And I am here to help you."

* * *

[ ](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com/post/642686653251584000/super-excited-to-share-with-you-all-i-have-been)

Artwork Commission by [thornedraven](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com)


	2. Corrupted Past

“I am going through the well,” Kagome cried, both to her family and to Kikyo, who was now walking beside her.

“Whatever happened in the past has passed Kagome, going through the well now cannot fix it,” Kikyo called as Kagome walked.

_ I don’t care _ , came Kagome’s responding thought, _ Yesterday I brought the shards I had back after Inuyasha and I had a fight about… _

“...Me.” Kikyo replied, “I share your soul now Kagome, we have no secrets.”

“GREAT.” Kagome audibly huffed, and jumped again through the time slip.

“Kagome. This will fix things. Whatever happened has already cemented fate,” Kikyo implored.

“Kaede?” Kagome ignored Kikyo, sprinting into the village.

“Kagome?! I had presumed you would not be back for a long time,” Kaede looked stricken.

“What has happened since I left the shards?” Kagome asked, still trying to figure out how 12 hours had changed the future.

“Oh my child…” Kaede looked sad, “Inuyasha has taken them, and has returned to my sister. Sango and Miroku are following a lead on Naraku’s castle. He and Miroku and Sango had a ferocious row, vowing to work separately from now on. Shippo was inconsolable, knowing he would not see you again, so he left, for where, I do not know.”

“I know when this happened,” Kikyo said, “We must go back to your time. I will tell you everything that happened from this point until my soul returned to you.”

“Thank you Kaede. If you see any of them, tell them that I love them and would never abandon them,” Kagome felt tears coming to her eyes, “I should never have left that impression in the first place.”

“What’s done is done my dear, but I will relay your message should they return,” Kaede replied, and Kagome was out the door and sprinting again for the well.

_ Tell me everything, _ Kagome thought, as she jumped back through the well. Kikyo simply nodded.

“Inuyasha came to me with your shards, and told me that you went back to your time permanently. His heart was broken, but we had vowed to seek our vengeance and destroy Naraku. I was also intent on purifying the Shikon jewel. We went into hiding, as I was now protecting the shards and did not desire a head-to-head battle. We did not want to be found, and so, even if others searched, they would not be able to locate us. My understanding is that within a week of Inuyasha’s return to me, Naraku lured Sango, Miroku and Kirara into a trap using her brother, and all three died,” Kikyo spoke impassively.

_ They died? They are going to be dead in the next week? _ Kagome choked on her thoughts.

“Yes. When Inuyasha found out, he destroyed half a forest in his pain. He returned to me, and his face was as cold as the day I first met him. But we had a quest to complete, so we pushed forward. We planned to allow Naraku to collect all the remaining shards, while I kept the three we had safe and pure. I knew if Naraku tried to touch the shards I kept, he would be purified the moment the jewel was complete. But little did we know we were being out-planned.  
Naraku crafted a demon that was able to break Inuyasha’s sword. Once that occurred, Inuyasha’s demon blood was set free. I had to completely purify him more than once to bring him back, and was concerned that there were times he relied on setting his demon blood off in battles. We played cat and mouse with Naraku for the next several decades. I kept the shards we had safe, and Naraku gathered the rest. Finally, when he had a complete jewel, we set our trap,” Kagome recognized grief in Kikyo’s eyes, “Unfortunately I had been too arrogant. Naraku had found a way to corrupt me, and in the end, he used a transformed Inuyasha to kill me. I was able to purify Inuyasha one last time before I died, returning him to himself. Somehow though, my soul did not immediately return to hell. It was as if I was bound to Naraku, and so as long as he was alive, I could not be free. Thus, I know how Naraku was defeated.”

_ How? _ Kagome asked.

“An enormous coalition of human monks and mikos entered a spiritual battle with Naraku, who had used the jewel to transform into a full demon. It took hundreds of them to spiritually trap and purify Naraku. Many thousands died fighting the demons he summoned to try to attack the spiritual warriors. Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru took part in the battle, fighting alongside the humans. Eventually, they were victorious, and Naraku was killed,” Kikyo looked even more pained, “Just before my soul returned to hell, I heard the head human monk make a wish upon the jewel. He wished for the subjugation of all demons to humans, to ensure nothing like Naraku’s reign of terror could be repeated, and that was the end of my knowledge. With Naraku dead, my soul found its way back to you, so I know nothing more of the tale.”

Kagome collapsed onto the ground by the well, trying to hold in her tears. Yesterday seemed so far away now, if what Kikyo was saying was correct. Kagome picked herself up and walked into the house.

_ You’ve returned to me to help me undo this fate, _ Kagome told Kikyo.

“I have. The fate I witnessed feels wrong Kagome. As if something happened that was against destiny,” Kikyo replied, “I want to find out how we fix it.”

_ It’s obvious _ , Kagome thought,  _ The moment the future changed was when I left the Shikon shards with Kaede, leading everyone to believe I was not going to return. _

“Then, we now know the answer,” Kikyo replied, “You must bend the well to your will and return to the time before you left the shards.”


	3. Of Demons in Modern Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Discussion of slavery

“Kagome I know you care about the fate of demons now, but we should be working on directing the well to return you to the proper moment,” Kikyo pleaded, but Kagome was having none of it.

Kagome grabbed her laptop and googled ‘demon subjugation’, just as a test. What came up was horrifying. Apparently subjugation had been taken to mean slavery, because that was the only way Kagome could explain the search results she was seeing. Markets to pick up house demons and field demons. Articles waxing on and on about the intellectual inferiority of demons, and how they ‘deserved’ to be tamed of their violent natures. Ads for demon fighting rings. Only once in a while did Kagome find an editorial about the fact that keeping demons enslaved was inhumane, always alongside some article about some demon that went crazy and killed a human.

“So this is what happened after that wish.” Kikyo stammered.

_ My god. _ Kagome nearly retched,  _ No. This is not the future I remember. This is disgusting. What do I do? _

“You change it,” Kikyo said.

_ I need to know what happened to Inuyasha. _ Kagome felt tears come to her eyes as she said it. Before she started typing, Kagome stopped herself. She remembered her mother’s stern words about him. Keeping him on his side of the well, to keep him safe. It froze her blood. It was probably not even safe for her to type his name into Google.

“Souta?” Kagome rushed into her brother’s room, closing the door behind her.

“Whaddya want?” Souta didn’t even look up from the video game he was playing.

“I… need you to… do a computer thing for me.” Kagome whispered with so much intensity in her voice that Souta put down the controller, and stared at her.

“What sis?” Souta leaned in, matching her whisper.

“I need you to find out anything you can about Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered back.

Souta got a grave look on his face, which told Kagome all she needed to know. In this future, a shrine family looking up a very specific demonic name like that was dangerous.

“I knew this day would come,” the 12 year old sighed, “I’m surprised it took this long.”

“What do you mean?” Kagome whispered back.

“What with the way modern demons are treated, the fact you were friends with one for so long has got to have really bothered you,” Souta whispered, “I don’t know too much about it, because it’s dangerous, but… I know that they smuggle freed demons to Canada, which has outlawed demon subjugation.”

“An underground railroad?! Seriously?” Kagome tried to keep her voice soft, but it was definitely hysterical.

“You act like you haven’t been paying attention to anything Kagome,” Souta shook his head.

She was not sure how to say ‘that’s because up until yesterday, this dystopian hellhole future did not exist,’ but realized she already sounded crazy enough.

“Souta… is our family… one of the good ones? Against demon enslavement?” Kagome made her voice even softer, “Do we… help?”

“Talk to Mama about that.” Souta hissed, “And give me a couple of days. I need to disguise my tracks if I am looking for that specific demon. But I should be able to tell you what happened to Inuyasha.”

Kagome sighed, and realized that Kikyo was looking as pale and sick as she was.

_ I am going to talk to Mama and see if I can find out what happened to the jewel, as well as… other things.  _ Kagome thought to Kikyo and headed downstairs.

“Why?” Kikyo asked.

_ Because I want to make sure that if this is the future we are doomed to, we know what needs to be done,  _ Kagome replied. She didn’t want to say she thought she would fail, but she was not yet ready to believe she would succeed either.

“Mama?” Kagome came into the kitchen to find her mother making tea, “Is there a private place we can talk?”

Mama Higurashi looked at her daughter thoughtfully, and nodded.

“I’ll bring some tea. Come sit in my sewing room dear,” Mama Higurashi turned on the kettle, sending Kagome a loaded look before adding, “Boy problems?”

“Y-Yeah…” Kagome was not sure why, but even though it wasn’t, that felt like the right answer.

Kagome made her way into the comfortable little room, and settled herself on the love seat. Kikyo looked at her.

“I don’t understand why you are asking about this future, for it is the wrong future,” Kikyo crossed her arms.

_ Because… I would never be able to live with myself if Inuyasha is suffering and I can save him, especially if I fail to right the future,  _ Kagome replied,  _ I need to know what happened Kikyo. _

Kikyo sighed and nodded.

“So dear, what would you like to talk to me about?” Mama Higurashi closed the door and handed Kagome a cup of tea.

_ Should I tell her everything? _ Kagome thought.  
“Yes,” Kikyo replied, causing Kagome to inwardly roll her eyes.  
_ Forgot my inner monologue is now a dialogue.  _ Kagome replied ruefully.

“Mama. One day, when I came out of the well… something happened,” Kagome started, “I don’t know what happened, but the future I lived in was not this one. I know it sounds crazy Mama, but… I think I did something wrong in the past and set things in motion to be…  _ this _ , but I … don’t know what this is.”

“For some reason Kagome, I believe you. When I saw you yesterday, something about you felt different. Like you were the right person for the first time in your life,” Mama replied, extremely quietly, “Do you really believe you can undo the terrible things that have happened?”

“I… don’t know. But I will try everything in my power to right this,” Kagome spoke in the same quiet voice of her mother, “I only know what happened up to the destruction of Naraku and the subjugation wish. Can you tell me what happened after that?”

Mama looked around, as if searching for some unseen spies, then answered, “All demons have collars that are said to have appeared during the Sengoku Jidai - from the wish on the Shikon jewel. After that, it is said that all lower level demons were destroyed, and the rest were enslaved. About 200 years ago, a powerful priestess was able to take the Shikon jewel and purify it, causing it to disappear.  
Unfortunately, causing the jewel to disappear did not undo its deeds. And so demons were still collared and enslaved. Tens of thousands of demons have dwindled down to only a thousand or so. Most have died, but many have been smuggled out of the country, still collared, but at least free.”

“Can’t the collars be broken?” Kagome’s voice was still quiet, but now desperate.

“Very few humans have the spiritual power to break them. Your father…” Mama continued, her voice laced with emotion, “He was one of the few. He’d freed about a hundred demons before he died. I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to keep his identity a secret all that time. I was the only person he ever told what he was doing.”

“Dad died freeing demons?” Kagome whispered back, “In my… timeline, he died in a car accident.”

“Oh my,” Mama shuddered a little bit, “He died in a car accident here too. I guess some things in fate are just… fixed.”

_ I probably have the power to break their collars then too, _ Kagome thought, as Kikyo looked solemnly at her.

“Your mind should be on how to get to the past to undo this future,” Kikyo pleaded, but Kagome shrugged her off.

_ I might fail. _ Kagome thought back. She  _ knew _ she needed to focus on the well, but how could she get by knowing the suffering her choice had caused? She needed to prepare herself to help demons  _ now _ instead of simply trying to undo something that happened  _ then _ .

“Why do so few humans have powers to save demons now?” Kagome spoke softly to her mother.

“No one really knows,” Mama sighed, “But I believe that spiritual powers were a gift from the kami to people who would dedicate their hearts to helping others. If there was a chance that someone desired to use their spiritual power to return a freed demon to slavery, I do not believe the kami would give them such a gift.”

“That is why you have such a gift Kagome,” Kikyo’s voice was soft, and caught Kagome off-guard.

“Mama… do  _ we _ still help demons?” Kagome asked in her smallest voice.

Mama nodded her head, “We do what we can. And if you should choose the path of your father, we will do everything in our power to support and protect you.”

“Thanks Mama,” Kagome pulled her mother in for a hug, finally letting the tear in her eye break loose. But their embrace was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.

“Sis?” Souta poked his head in, looking disgusted and sad, “I found Inuyasha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of COURSE Mama Higurashi is one of the good ones.
> 
> Also poor Kagome. Her romantic rival is sharing her mind with her. But... Kikyo isn't so bad.


	4. The Tragic Tale of the Inu Brothers

“I thought you said it would take a while,” Kagome probed, had Souta decided to forego safety for speed?

“Usually it does. It didn’t this time. Here.” Souta handed Kagome a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it.

When Kagome looked down at the paper, her hand began to shake uncontrollably. Looking back up from her were two demons: one was Sesshomaru in his full dog form and the other… well, it looked exactly like Inuyasha, but all wrong. Inuyasha’s normally golden eyes were bright blue pupils surrounded by red. His fangs were elongated, and he had purple stripes on his cheeks like his brother. Inuyasha’s hand was also in the picture, displaying longer sharper claws dripping with blood. More so than the transformation was  _ how _ he looked in the picture: cold, soulless, bloodthirsty.

“That is Inuyasha when he is fully transformed,” Kikyo choked out, as affected by the image she saw as Kagome.

[ ](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com/post/643053541927337984/another-image-to-go-along-with)

Artwork commission by [thornedraven](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com)

* * *

The flyer proudly proclaimed ‘ **Fight to the DEATH: Watch the Famous Inu Brothers Try to Kill Each Other Every Saturday at the Demon Dojo! The Demon DOGs Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have hated each other for centuries. Maybe this week you will get to watch one finally put an end to the other!** ’

Below the title were the time and the address, along with a website where one could purchase a ‘premium package’ and other goodies to watch as the enslaved demons were forced to fight. 

“I guess that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are famous for their fights,” Souta whispered, as Mama Higurashi joined them, gasping at the flyer, “I am not sure how long they’ve had to fight like this, but apparently they are a big attraction.”

“Get me a ticket Souta. Do whatever you can to get me in without giving them a penny. I want to see what they are making them do.” Kagome’s words did not betray the roiling emotions coursing through her.

_ We are going to see this together _ , Kagome exclaimed to Kikyo, and watched as the woman who shared her soul simply nodded.

A couple hours later, Souta appeared in Kagome’s room, ticket in-hand.

“How’d you do it?” Kagome whispered, she’d always been impressed with her brother’s computer skills.

“Ticketmaster leaves their server insecure. I just mimicked the venue’s host account and reserved the seat,” Souta grinned, “Shouldn’t be a problem with it. I covered my tracks.”

Kagome punched Souta’s shoulder playfully. She had a ticket. It was happening.

For the next couple of days, Kagome went to school, pretending that everything was okay. She talked to her friends about being ‘dumped’ by the delinquent boyfriend of hers, which was partly true, and partly a good mask for the sorrow she was feeling for letting this happen. She was grateful to find out that Yuka, Ayumi and Eri were uncomfortable with how demons were treated as well, but Kagome made sure not to dig too deeply into the subject.

_ Teach me how to mask my reiki _ , Kagome called to Kikyo.

“That is a skill that takes months to master,” Kikyo scoffed, not unkindly, “You have only a few days.”

_ I share my soul with you, _ Kagome retorted,  _ And you know how to. So teach me. _

“I don’t know if it works like that…” Kikyo lamented, “But I will try.”

_ Thank you. _ Kagome thought.

In those days, any time Kagome was not at school, she was in her room working with Kikyo on masking her reiki. The two might’ve shared a soul, but they definitely were not the same person.

“You have to concentrate harder, Kagome. You need to make your mind blank, picture your power receding inside of you, then command it to fall asleep,” Kikyo sounded exasperated.

_ I’m trying!  _ Kagome moaned inwardly. Friday. One more day to get it right.

Then it hit her. It had been almost a week since the future changed.  
_ Sango. Miroku. Kirara. _

Her obsession with seeing Inuyasha in the future meant that her friends were in the past, right now, dying in Naraku’s trap.

“He couldn’t forgive himself.” Kikyo cut into Kagome’s grief, obviously aware of where her thoughts were, “After what happened. I tried to get him to talk to me about it. But he’d shut down. All of a sudden, we were the same; wraiths who walked the earth without anything except our vow of revenge to keep us going.”

_ This is my fault. _ Kagome thought miserably. One stupid moment of weakness. One moment letting her own sadness drive her decisions and she doomed the man she loved to centuries of misery, and the friends she loved to premature deaths.

“You could not have known Kagome,” Kikyo said gently, “And I could have brought him back and forced him to go through the well to you. I didn’t. By the time I’d understood the grave consequences, it was too late.”

Something about Kikyo’s sad and understanding eyes, and thinking about her friends and Inuyasha hardened Kagome’s resolve. She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might, then successfully lulled her reiki to sleep.

“Wow,” Kikyo let the smile shine in her eyes, “That was… abrupt. I will remember how strong your motivation is to protect those you love.”

_ This means we’re ready for tomorrow. _ Kagome thought.

“Can I not convince you to focus instead on the well?” Kikyo pleaded.

_ No. _ Kagome was certain,  _ I will not let this Inuyasha disappear having known nothing except pain and misery. _

“Then I will stop trying to sway you,” Kikyo relented.

When Saturday arrived, Kagome dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and baggy jeans, and left herself without makeup. She needed to blend in, to go unnoticed. Kagome took the train to the sketchy part of town and looked at the garish building towering over her, “DEMON DOJO” displayed across the front in a tawdry gold color. For some reason upon seeing it, Kagome thought of a brothel. As Kagome had her ticket scanned, she kept her face blank, hoping that Souta’s computer skills were as good as he claimed they were. The ticket was accepted without a problem.

“You can still walk away Kagome,” Kikyo muttered to her, not able to mask the panic in her voice.

_ No, I can’t, _ Kagome argued,  _ All it took was me walking away from him for 12 hours for this to happen. I’m not walking away from him again. _

“I’m scared.” Kikyo admitted, “I’m scared of what we will see.”

_ Me too _ , Kagome looked at the woman in her soul, and saw tears in her eyes. Kikyo felt as responsible and terrible as she did. If she could hug Kikyo, she would have.

Kagome pressed on, finding her seat. She kept her hood on and made sure her face was obscured. Luckily, the crowd was full of all types. The rowdy types who seemed to be whooping “frank” (for Frankenstein, a derogatory term for demons), to those who looked as covered and silent as she did. Kikyo settled in next to her, obscuring the view of whatever shady character was in the seat neighboring hers.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE HERE FOR!” the announcer blared on the speakers as multicolored lights began to flash. The crowd went wild. Kagome simply sat, watching the ring in the center of the room, “WHAT DO YOU THINK, IS TONIGHT THE NIGHT ONE DOG PUTS THE OTHER DOG DOWN? PLACE YOUR BETS AND FIND OUT!”

_ They seriously hype up that the two want to kill each other, _ Kagome felt disgusted.

“I mourn for them. While they were not friendly, the two were both after Naraku, and did not kill one another while fighting their common enemy.” Kikyo lamented.

Suddenly some brassy metal music began to play, and Kagome watched as trap doors opened on the floor of the arena. As the barred platforms emerged, she choked down a gasp. Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were dressed in nothing but a pair of ragged shorts. Around both of their necks were thick black collars. Kagome saw that they were growling at each other and baring their teeth, but something looked and felt  _ broken _ about them. The regal grace of the Sesshomaru she remembered had been replaced by some sort of feral creature. His previously perfectly coiffed hair was a ragged mess. His carefully impassive face was now a mask of wild fury. But Inuyasha. The Inuyasha she’d seen less than a week ago was gone. He who once carried himself with such dignity was now crouched on all-fours looking every bit the rabid canine she saw glaring at her from that flyer. His hair was short, a silver halo around his ears. His golden eyes had lost their brightness, and no longer shone with life. Kagome forced down her emotions, she would come back to those later. Right now, she had to take everything in. Kagome kept her reiki well hidden.

_ I can sense reiki in those collars, _ Kagome thought, feeling Kikyo nod with her.

“Those must be the collars that came from the subjugation wish,” Kikyo replied.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS AND GALS, DO WE WANT TO SEE SOME BLOOD?” the announcer’s voice was as manic as the crowd’s cheers and cusses toward the brothers, “THEN LET’S LET THEM OUT OF THEIR CAGES!”

Kagome watched as the cages dropped away. She heard the crowd cussing and cheering for Sesshomaru or for Inuyasha, and watched the brothers circle one another. All of a sudden, Inuyasha let out a roar.

“I THINK OUR BOY WANTS TO RELEASE THE BEAST!” the announcer screamed, and as Kagome watched, Inuyasha transformed.

_ What is going on?!?!  _ her thoughts screamed at Kikyo.

“He’s… transforming. He’s becoming a full demon.” Kikyo cried out.

The rest of the fight was brutal. Sesshomaru had been gashed open by Inuyasha’s claws, but he’d also thrown some poisoned blows at Inuyasha. To anyone who did not know, the two really looked like they were going to kill each other. Yet, Kagome could swear that Sesshomaru looked in her direction more often than anywhere else. For one lingering second, they made eye contact, and Kagome  _ knew _ that he recognized her.

Unfortunately in that second, Inuyasha lunged and had his claws on Sesshomaru’s throat, ready for the kill. But before Kagome could cry out, she watched as both collars threw out bolts of pink lightning, and both brothers seized up and began to convulse. Inuyasha transformed back to his half-demon state, and both brothers laid in the arena, rendered unconscious by the collars.

“NOW NOW NOW- BAD DOGGIE! IF YOU KILLED YOUR BROTHER, WE WOULDN’T GET TO HAVE ANYMORE FUN, NOW WOULD WE?” the announcer screeched, and the crowd first booed, then cheered, “FOR ANYONE WHO TOOK THE UNDERDOG (GET IT?) INUYASHA TODAY, GO COLLECT YOUR WINNINGS, AND DON’T FORGET…. MAYBE JUST MAYBE WE’LL LET ONE DOG PUT THE OTHER DOWN… NEXT WEEK!”

There had been a few times in Kagome’s life that she felt so ill she almost passed out. When the phone call arrived about her dad’s accident. When Madame Centipede had plunged into her gut and pulled out the Shikon Jewel. The first time she’d come across a dead body. But she was not sure that any of those compared to this. The raw, sick, disgusted fury that coursed through her was so intense she was surprised she made it home.

_ Tomorrow we start planning how to help them escape _ , Kagome thought to Kikyo. There would be no arguments, no doubt, no questions.

“We’re coming for you Inuyasha,” both Kagome and Kikyo whispered the words together.

It was a promise - one that both Kagome and Kikyo would keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ ](https://www.deviantart.com/pink-hudy/art/Commission-inuyasha-sesshomaru-Kagome-and-kikyo-847961189?ga_submit_new=10%3A1594131601)
> 
> Kagome's Fateful Choice commission by [Pink-Hudy](https://www.deviantart.com/pink-hudy)
> 
> * * *


	5. Wishes of the Bound

If anyone had paid any attention, they would have been able to see that there were patterns to the way that the Inu brothers growled, snapped and snarled at each other in their cages. But everyone who worked in the arena had been thoroughly indoctrinated into believing that both were mindless animals. So no one paid it any mind.

For the brothers, having the Inu language in common had been one of the few respites from the centuries of hell they had endured.

"Damn, I almost put you out of your misery old man," Inuyasha snarled, "Maybe demon me can be even quicker next time."

"I fear my momentary lapse in concentration will mean tighter leashes on us for a while brother," Sesshomaru returned the growl, "They wouldn't want to put their prized dogs down."

"You're fucking perfect most of the time. What distracted you?" Inuyasha continued snarling, adding in a little snap for flourish, though had long ago realized no one was really watching.

"Wistfulness of the past," Sesshomaru replied in a low growl.

"I can barely remember anything past this fucking cage," Inuyasha growled back, but there was something he would always remember. He remembered _her._ "Say old man, you think we're almost to… uh… the other side of the well's time?"

Inuyasha had not been able to bring himself to say her name for centuries, in Inu or in Japanese. Kagome was both his biggest regret and his biggest hope. He remembered the last time he saw her, right after he'd seen Kikyo. He remembered the hurt in her eyes, the smell of her tears. He remembered the sense of grief he felt when he'd returned to Kaede's hut to find Kagome had left the shards for them, knowing that he would never see her again.

[ ](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com/post/643510627657203712/youre-fucking-perfect-most-of-the-time-what)

Artwork commission by [thornedraven](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com)

* * *

"Yes." Sesshomaru's snap interrupted Inuyasha's loathed memories. He sounded… _certain_.

"Are you a fucking abacus now?" Inuyasha mocked in a low growl.

"Perhaps I am," Sesshomaru growled back, "And… were we in the 'time of the well' and you were to escape this hell, what would you do?"

 _Fuck._ Inuyasha had not heard his brother sound so thoughtful (in any language) maybe ever. He knew the answer. He would find Kagome. He would find her and he would apologize to her for all the times he abandoned her. He would tell her how much he missed her and how every single day he thought of her. He would tell her that the reason he'd not given up and died was because he thought - _hoped_ that one day he would be able to return to her. Maybe, in her arms, he would even finally allow himself to grieve. For Sango, for Miroku, for Kirara, for Shippo, for Kikyo… and even maybe for himself.

"I'd… find _her_." Inuyasha whimpered it. He knew it was the first time he had _ever_ admitted this to his brother. Three hundred fucking years of nearly killing each other every week and they'd never talked about his biggest regret.

When Inuyasha returned to Kikyo, everything felt… wrong. As if he'd just challenged fate. At the time he shrugged it off. He'd made his choice. He could not abandon his vow to protect Kikyo just because he had found happiness with Kagome. The fight he'd had with the others had been enormous, and he stormed away, having decided he didn't need them anyway. If they couldn't accept that he needed to protect Kikyo, they could go to hell. What he hadn't counted on was that within a week of his decision, he would never get the chance to take back his words.

"I've always wondered something… when you _turn_ , do you remember anything?" Sesshomaru growled, breaking Inuyasha yet again from his pain, "Would you be able to recall familiar scents?"

Why would his brother be asking about this now? He'd never been curious about Inuyasha's transformation before.

"No. I just want to kill," Inuyasha snarled back, "Why?"

"You are one of very few who have been to this time before," Sesshomaru replied with a couple of snaps, "I wondered if there were ever times you picked anything up you remembered."

"I don't think anyone I met way back then would have anything to do with a shithole like this place," Inuyasha snapped back at his brother.

"Even so. Perhaps you should consider fighting me without turning, for a bit at least. Just in case." Sesshomaru growled the words so low, it was audible only to Inuyasha's ears.

"They punish me when I go too many rounds without doing it," Inuyasha grumbled.

"As a favor." Sesshomaru kept up the low frequency growl.

"Okay. Fuck 'em. It's not like I can feel anything anymore anyway," he answered his brother in the same low frequency growl, "So what about you? What would you do if you got out?"

"Die." Sesshomaru growled yet lower, "On my own terms."

"Who knew we were destined to fight until we fucking die," Inuyasha yipped. He always did find it ironic that he lost everything, including his freedom, and somehow still got stuck in eternal hell with his brother. The kami had royally fucked him.

"Don't forget brother," Sesshomaru's low growl was barely audible now, "What you said you would do were you to find your freedom."

The brothers finished their conversation by loudly barking at each other, then snapping particularly viciously before both curled up to fall asleep.

 _Yes_ , Inuyasha thought, _I would find Kagome._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tough chapter to write, because Inuyasha does not deserve this future. At the same time, in writing this I realized just how resilient both of them are. There is no way that Inuyasha, even after all of this, would be broken. And Sesshomaru is too prideful to let this get him down.


	6. Growing Bond and Growing Power

“I think I know how to break the collars.” Kikyo said it nearly the moment that Kagome had awakened in the morning.

_ Aren’t you a part of my soul? Don’t you sleep when I sleep?  _ Kagome grumbled back.

“The faster you learn, the faster we save him,” Kikyo folded her arms, ignoring Kagome’s scowl.

Kagome rolled out of bed, staring at herself in the mirror. Her pajamas were disheveled and her hair looked more like a squirrel’s nest than something that was supposed to be on a human head. She looked sheepishly over at Kikyo, whose spectre had perfect hair, perfect skin, and a perfect miko’s outfit that fit her perfectly.

“Your thoughts are strange,” Kikyo raised an eyebrow.

_ Just… uhm…  _ Kagome didn’t want to tell Kikyo that even now, even with two missions to plan, she still felt inferior to the beautiful woman who shared her soul.

“Stop that right now,” Kikyo huffed, “Kagome. You never knew me as a human being. I was a body made of clay and bone, with a borrowed soul. When I was alive, just like you, my hair was messy when I woke up in the morning. You need to stop idealizing me.”

Kagome blushed. Kikyo was of course right. But it was so hard to let her heart think about Kikyo as a fully realized person, when in Kagome’s experience Kikyo was Inuyasha’s first love that followed him in death.

_ Sorry.  _ Kagome felt her apology echo through her soul,  _ I barely have had time to get over Inuyasha’s choice and now we’re thrust into this awful future. _

“And what choice was that?” Kikyo challenged.

_ To be with you.  _ Kagome really didn’t want to be having this conversation now, but… Kikyo was a part of her soul, it wasn’t like she could avoid her.

“Inuyasha made the choice to  _ protect _ me rather than abandon me,” Kikyo narrowed her eyes, “He believed that to choose not to abandon me, he must leave you. I am not sure he ever really understood that he could choose both. He could protect and aid me in seeking vengeance for my death  _ and _ he could choose to continue his journey with you.”

_ Wait. But you tried to kill me. _ Kagome had not really thought about that for a while, that  _ Kikyo _ also thought she was a hindrance.

“I was still so full of malice and anger. I was robbed of my death. I had failed in my mission to destroy the Shikon jewel. I’d discovered that the person I loved and I had been betrayed by another, and that I  _ fell _ for it. I found out my soul already resided in another’s body. One who could choose to rip away the small piece of my soul that kept me who I am any moment she wanted to,” Kikyo’s voice was laden with pain, “It was hard to accept. That I’d lost everything. I wanted to try to get some of it back. I wanted vengeance. I was confident I was the only one capable of seeking that vengeance, because at the time I was not cognizant of your own incredible skills at purification. Without you, the path to my vengeance was smoother, and the vengeance I sought could be mine alone.  
Then you disappeared and Inuyasha came to me. I watched the light you’d cultivated in his eyes slowly dull away again. And I began to understand. We were never the same. You were always the better. You would  _ never _ have made the decision to end my existence to make your path easier - the only time you ever truly threatened to end me was when I was intent on killing Inuyasha. You see, you have a supernatural ability to see the goodness in others, in  _ everyone _ . You made Inuyasha feel accepted for who he was, likely for the first time in his life.”

_ What do you mean? You accepted Inuyasha too. That’s why you fell in love, _ Kagome thought, still trying to process what Kikyo had said.

Kikyo sighed a long, shuddering sigh, “No, I didn’t. He was going to use the Shikon jewel to turn human. To be with me. I never accepted his demon side. And I wish I could say that that changed, but it did not.”

_ Kikyo…  _ Kagome thought, feeling both grief and anger at the woman who shared her soul. She wasn’t sure what to say next.

A gentle knock came to the door, breaking the tension. It was Mama.

“Kagome dear, I was thinking about working on a new pattern over breakfast,” Mama said conspiratorially, “Would you care to join me in the sewing room?”

“Sure Mama,” Kagome replied, understanding what the sewing room meant. Kagome’s mind shifted back to the present. Back to what she had witnessed the previous day. Images of collared Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had burrowed into her gut and taken root there, leaving her feeling disgusted and angry.

Kagome followed Mama into the sewing room, then took a seat. Kikyo looked uneasily at her, likely still lingering on their unfinished conversation.

_ Thank you for telling me all that Kikyo, _ Kagome thought,  _ And I am so sorry that Naraku robbed you of a chance at happiness. _

Kikyo looked at her, seemingly in surprise. What could Kagome say? Every interaction she had ever had with Kikyo made her feel small, worthless, a hindrance to everyone else. It was still quite strange to hear her speak with such remorse, and moreso, with such  _ praise _ .

“We both have something to fight for in the past Kagome,” Kikyo looked wistful, “But, after seeing what has become of Inuyasha in this future, I will not abandon him.”

_ Damn straight _ , Kagome agreed.

Mama Higurashi came into the sewing room, carrying serving trays full of breakfast. She was followed in by Souta.

“It was worse than you can possibly imagine,” Kagome whispered.

“Think there’s a way to break him out?” Souta whispered back.

“Yes.” Kagome said, sending a thoughtful look to Kikyo,  _ Well, you said you know how to break the collar… _

“Then it sounds like we need to get to work,” Mama Higurashi smiled sadly.

In hushed whispers, with the hum of the sewing machine providing further interference, the three Higurashis (and Kikyo, although that was only known to Kagome) formulated a plan. Step by step, things began to fall into place. Each member of the family knew what must be done, and all broke around lunchtime to begin their portion of the work. Kagome’s heart swelled at how easy it was to recruit her family to free the Inu brothers - and their hands were suspiciously practiced.

_ They’ve done this before, _ Kagome thought,  _ They are helping break demons out of bondage. _

“No wonder you are who you are,” Kikyo beamed, “Now.  _ You _ need to train. What you need to do takes power, precision and speed.”

_ So, the same as shooting a sacred arrow then _ , Kagome replied.

“Yes. But… without the bow and arrow,” Kikyo quirked her eyebrow conspiratorially, “You are about to attempt ballistic reiki.”

_ Ballistic. reiki.  _ Kagome tried to keep the skepticism out of her thoughts, but of course, since she shared a soul, Kikyo knew.

“Yes.” Kikyo folded her arms, “It is one of the most difficult reiki weapons to master. But the sooner you do, the sooner you rescue them.”

_ The sooner I rescue them. _ Kagome thought. It was clear that she was the bottleneck in the plan. She was the one who had to figure out how to break them out of that gaudy demon hellhole when it was likely they were the closest guarded of all their “possessions”.

“You’re not going to sneak in Kagome, you are going to break them out of their collars during a fight,” Kikyo said simply.

_ Fine. Time to start teaching me Kikyo-sensei _ , Kagome smirked.

Kagome should not have smirked. She should never have called Kikyo “Kikyo-sensei” as a joke, because Kikyo was a brutal (and brutally  _ good _ ) teacher. The shrine still had enough lingering reiki that their practices could go unnoticed, but Kikyo was not kidding when she called ballistic reiki the most difficult technique to master. Every moment Kagome was not in school she was trying to pool balls of her reiki into her hand and shoot a target. It was exhausting and near-impossible. Her family made sure she was fed, but neither she nor Kikyo relented. They both wanted her to master the technique, for the longer it took, the more Inuyasha suffered.

[ ](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com/post/643939441474519040/kagome-and-kikyo-working-together-uhm-yes)

Artwork commission by [thornedraven](https://thornedraven.tumblr.com)

* * *

_ Can you just take over my body for a little while and do it for me? _ Kagome whined, after she’d finally managed to launch the stupid ball of stupid reiki out of her stupid hand and hit the stupid target (but not the bullseye).

“No,” Kikyo had said this to Kagome at least a dozen times, “I am not you. I cannot control your reiki with the part of my soul that is also your soul. And, remember, if you miss, you purify your targets.”

The growl that came out of Kagome at her stupid soul-sensei would’ve made Inuyasha proud.

But slowly, it became easier. Slowly, Kagome found pooling the reiki to be second nature, and she could hit the bullseye from 10 meters away. Then she could hit it from 20 meters away. Then she could hit two targets in rapid succession, both at 20 meters away. When she could hit both consistently and could repeat it a dozen times, they considered her ready.

It had taken her a month, but it was time well spent. Dare she say it, but she and Kikyo had become  _ close _ . Kikyo was the older sister Kagome didn’t have, teasing her sometimes but also encouraging her when she needed it (especially after particularly frustrating training). Kagome had learned a lot about the one who shared her soul. How even alive, Kikyo was world weary, her spiritual power locking her into a life she did not get to choose. The idea of their births exiling them from regular lives was what first brought her closer to Inuyasha. He was as desperate for normalcy as Kikyo was.

“But you. Inuyasha does not need to change for you,” Kikyo once told her, “You accept him. You don’t seek ‘ordinary’ as I did, you love him as he is. As a half-demon.”

_ We were raised in very different times _ , Kagome replied,  _ I’ve no doubt you would be a different person if you were raised in my era. _

Kikyo laughed, “Perhaps! But as it is, my soul is  _ alive _ in your era, because my soul is you. So now, let’s get to work on making sure that the well returns your era to what it is supposed to be.”

Kagome wanted to rest, to leave the well alone, but it was Tuesday, and their other plan was to happen on Saturday, so she had time.

_ Fine, but I won’t go through the well until we’ve saved Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, _ Kagome lectured, although she didn’t need to. She and Kikyo saw eye to eye on that.

Over the next few days, she spent a lot of time at the well. She could activate it, but she could not find the words or the feelings needed to urge the well to extend the timeslip to the crucial moment Kagome left the shards with Kaede. Even without going through the well to check, Kagome knew this to be the case. Something blocked her, as if it challenged her to convince it, and she was unconvincing.

“Is what you’re seeing around you not enough Kagome?” Kikyo was getting frustrated.

_ Apparently not, _ Kagome groaned. The days they tried the well had confirmed a single thing, that Kagome could not yet bend the well to her will.

On Friday morning, they refocused their thoughts and energies on what they would be doing the following day. The plan was ready, the escape route was ready, the Higurashis and Kikyo were ready. Kagome was ready.

Tomorrow, Kagome was going to break the chains that bound Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ballistic reiki.


	7. The Emancipation of Inuyasha

It was getting exhausting. Their masters were pissed off that Inuyasha didn’t transform, and told him that if he wanted to stay alive, he better unleash the beast.  _ As if dying is a punishment dipshits. _ They’d begun activating his collar randomly. Once the fucking thing nearly purified him to human during a match, and he was only alive because Sesshomaru had minutely paused an attack. Inuyasha cursed him out for not finishing the job. For some reason, Sesshomaru had been strangely thoughtful over the past month. He seemed to be waiting for something. Whatever it was, he never let Inuyasha know, which just pissed him off more.

Tonight was yet another one of their big fucking shows. Are they gonna kill each other or not - blah blah blah. Every moron with half a brain knew that these shitbirds would  _ never _ let their prized dogs do the deed. But for some reason, the crowds were always sure that  _ this time _ they would do it. Sesshomaru had made him promise  _ yet again _ not to transform, and Inuyasha obliged. It was almost fun, this tiny act of resistance. Sure, the beatings sucked, but what the fuck else did he have?

_ If I die, I will never be able to find her,  _ the thought invaded his mind. He was starting to push his luck - he was sure that soon they  _ would _ kill him, then find some replacement for the fucking dogfights. So this was the last time he’d heed his brother - next week, he would transform again. As much as he wanted to be put out of his misery, he could wait. At least until he was certain that Kagome had passed away in her time. He growled, and gave Sesshomaru a tiny nod from their cages below the arena. He would not transform tonight.  _ Time to put on a violent fucking show for the worst of humanity. _

The platform lifted him up, and he heard the cacophony of the crowd. He pinned his ears to his head at the screech of the announcer, waiting for the stupid bars to lower. When they started their descent, something caught his attention.  _ Kagome. _ For the first time in 400 fucking years he smelled  _ her _ . And from the look on his brother’s face, he knew that Sesshomaru did too. What the fuck was Kagome doing there? Before he could look around for her, Sesshomaru snapped in Inu.

“Put on a show now brother. Later for anything else.” Sesshomaru said it ferociously - he’d  _ never _ spoken Inu in the fight before. Inuyasha barked an affirmative.

_ Something is about to happen _ , he just didn’t know what.

Once the bars had completely retreated into the floor and they began circling one another, something  _ did _ happen. Inuyasha watched as a small pink ball hit Sesshomaru directly on his collar, causing it to explode in a shower of red and white sparks. Before he could react, a flash of pink caused his own collar to explode. They were free.  _ Kagome  _ had saved them. For a brief moment, the crowd went silent, then as realization dawned on everyone, the place broke into chaos.

“RUN.” Sesshomaru barked, a manic grin on his face, “Find her. Take her far away from here!”

Without another word, Inuyasha leaped as fast and as far as he could. He was to the back of the arena in a single bound, ahead of the chaos and the screams of people trying to get away. Before taking off out the door, he chanced a glance backward. Sesshomaru had transformed into his demon dog form, and had charged through the thin cords that separated the arena from the crowds. Inuyasha could smell the blood of people downed by the ruthless swipes of his brother's claws. A few security guards looked to be attempting to approach Sesshomaru with cattle prods, but without the collar, the effort to contain the enraged demon would be futile. A green mist had begun escaping his brother, and his brother had started to glow. Inuyasha knew what that meant. Soon, the entire arena would be full of his brother’s poison. And soon, that poison would ignite.  _ Bastard is going to do it.  _ Inuyasha had to get out. Now. And he had to find Kagome.

Inuyasha inhaled a searching whiff and caught her scent, then followed it down a hallway and around a corner. He threw himself into a stairwell, and saw her. She wore a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans, and she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Ka-gome…” Inuyasha was surprised he could still speak Japanese, “We… we need to run.”

“Follow the scent trail I laid for you. I’m climbing on.” Kagome spoke quickly and with authority, but her voice trembled. She grabbed hold of Inuyasha’s back and he took off, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Kagome had done a decent job, he followed her scent easily, which did not travel in a straight line but got them far away all the same.

The explosion at their tails alerted Inuyasha that Sesshomaru had done it. He was a demon who took revenge on those who’d imprisoned him, dying with honor. Inuyasha felt the force of his grief as much as the shockwave from Sesshomaru’s last stand, but he was urged on by Kagome. Finally, Kagome halted him at a manhole cover.

“Jump down through there. We’ll be able to talk soon, but I need to get you safe.” Kagome whispered, and he did as he was told, “I… thought Sesshomaru would follow us.”

“He… ain’t comin’” Inuyasha replied, swallowing down the lump in his throat.

They both stood there for a moment, absorbing what Sesshomaru had done. His explosion and rampage through the Demon Dojo had covered Inuyasha’s escape, allowing him to die on his own terms  _ and  _ protect his brother.

“I’m sorry Inuyasha,” Kagome’s grip on Inuyasha’s shoulders tightened, and he could hear her exhale heavily, trying to chase away her own grief.

But they weren’t out of danger, so he hopped through the hole and set Kagome down, and they started to run through the storm sewer. They would grieve later. When they were safe.

They arrived in a large open space, and Kagome picked up a garbage bag laying in the corner. She opened the bag and grabbed at the contents within: revealed to be clothing.

“Change into these,” Kagome instructed, pulling off her own clothes and changing as well.

“How did you…” Inuyasha had so many questions.

“Not yet,” Kagome spoke urgently, “Now. I… um… need to purify you.”

“Wait, what?” of all the things Inuyasha imagined hearing from the beautiful woman before him, it was not this.

“Oh! Only to make you human. It’s a lot safer.” Kagome stuttered, “I’ve practiced this a lot. It was something Kikyo used to do when you… transformed.”

This only led to more questions. But Inuyasha heard the urgency in Kagome’s voice and realized that time was of the essence.

“Okay.” Inuyasha said,  _ I trust you. _

Kagome packed their old clothes in the garbage bag, blasted it with reiki to purify any lingering demonic energy, wiped off their fingerprints, and threw it into the water. She then walked up to Inuyasha and laid her hands on his shoulders. Automatically he pressed his hands into her’s. He wanted to tell her that right now, he could die happy, because after all these years, he had finally gotten to touch her again. The look in her eyes seemed to say she understood, but that was quickly replaced by a look of resolve.

“I’m sorry, this will probably hurt.” Kagome’s beautiful chocolate eyes looked into his own, giving him the smallest of nods. Inuyasha closed his eyes and braced for the pain.

The energy that passed through him felt like a wave laced with electricity. Not exactly comfortable, but not painful either. Whenever that fucking necklace purified him it hurt like hell. Even when Kikyo had done it to undo his transformation, it  _ hurt. _ But with Kagome -  _ his Kagome _ \- it hadn’t hurt. For a second Inuyasha wondered if it had worked at all...

Kagome’s excited gasp answered his question, it  _ had _ worked, “Okay! Next, we need to head… that way.”

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha’s hand, and held it with strength he had not realized she had. Kagome held a paper map in her other hand and weaved them through the labyrinthine sewers. Finally, she came to a halt directly below a ladder.

“I think this is it. Let me climb up first, and if it’s safe, you can climb out right after me.” Kagome smiled, then started climbing.

_ She has a gorgeous ass _ , Inuyasha could not keep the thought out of his mind as he climbed up behind her. Fuck, she had rescued him from literal hell. She’d knocked those fucking collars off both him and Sesshomaru with such fucking precision and power… He needed to get a grip - thinking about her beautiful ass when she was literally his fucking guardian angel would not do. Kagome carefully lifted the manhole cover, glanced somewhere off in the distance, then pushed it out of the way.

“We’re safe. Once you get up, take my hand and follow me.” Kagome looked down at him, shadowed by the exposed sky above them.

“O-okay.” Inuyasha paused, then added “...Fucking hell Kagome.”

“Almost there. Not yet,” Kagome whispered into his human ear, then grabbed his hand.

Both walked, looking like boyfriend and girlfriend, to an old waiting Toyota. Inuyasha thought he recognized the old man sitting at the wheel.

“I thought there were two of ‘em,” Grandpa Higurashi said quietly to Kagome.

“Only one got out. Turn on the radio,” Kagome whispered back, her voice cracking slightly, “Let’s put Inuyasha in the trunk - it’ll be safer.”

The old man grunted, and popped the trunk. Inuyasha hopped into it without hesitation. This was his Kagome. The Higurashis were the only people in this demented world he knew were safe.

He strained to listen, and heard the noise of the radio reporting an enormous explosion at the Demon Dojo. Very few survivors. The suspicion was that somehow one of the fighting demon dogs had broken free of their collar and gone on a rampage, killing everyone in sight.

“This won’t do anything good for demon liberation,” Gramps grumbled to Kagome.

“Two brothers were forced to fight each other to the death once a week for hundreds of years,” Kagome spoke so softly that Inuyasha had to strain to hear, “Sometimes it takes a spark to light the fires of change.”

“Well, get that damn well working right and we won’t have any of these damn fires,” Gramps grumbled. What the fuck did that even mean?

As swiftly as the ride started, it ended. Inuyasha heard the car turn off, and the grinding of a garage door. There was a pause, but then he heard footsteps heading to the trunk.

“We’re here. You’re safe.” Kagome’s face was lit by the garage light. It had been so long, yet he remembered her face like it was yesterday. Kagome’s face was the most beautiful he’d ever seen.

Inuyasha climbed out of the trunk of the car. He saw that Kagome’s entire family greeted him. It was then that it hit him. He was  _ free _ . Kagome had rescued him. He’d lived through hell waiting for her and she’d  _ come _ . He couldn’t hold it back anymore, he pulled Kagome in as close as he could, burying his face in her hair. He didn’t want to let her go. He wouldn’t, because letting her go might mean that this was not real. And it had to be fucking real.

“Inuyasha?” Mama Higurashi’s soft voice somehow pierced through his embrace of Kagome, “I made ramen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was what Sessh was waiting for!
> 
> In case you wondered, the Higurashis had planned on letting human Inuyasha sit in the car and were going to hide Sessh in the trunk. But... well, Sessh changed those plans 🥺
> 
> But he got his wish: Sesshomaru died on his own terms.


	8. The Meaning of Family

_ First Sesshomaru, then Inuyasha, then run, then wait in the stairwell. _ Kagome repeated it to herself from the moment she stepped into the arena to the moment she’d aimed her reiki at Sesshomaru’s collar. She trusted the mantra, trusted Souta to have hacked the security cameras that lined her path, and trusted the Inu brothers’ noses to find her.

What she hadn’t expected was that Inuyasha would be the only one to follow her.

_ Another life put to an end in this damned timeline _ she’d thought.

As Gramps drove the Toyota back to the Shrine, both listened to the reports of death and bloodshed at the Demon Dojo. Kagome felt rotten thinking about Sesshomaru’s last stand - the plan had not been to hurt anyone, even people depraved enough to enjoy the demon fights. She knew she needed to undo this future, for Sesshomaru’s sake. For the sake of the people who died when she set him free. For the look of utter brokenness that haunted Inuyasha’s eyes. When Gramps pulled into the garage in the shrine, Kagome had to restrain herself from jumping out and running to free Inuyasha. The trunk had to stay closed until Mama and Souta appeared at the door, signaling that it was safe.

When they opened the door, Kagome jogged to the back of the car and popped the trunk. There lay a human Inuyasha, his violet eyes staring directly into her soul. When she helped him out, he enveloped her in his arms, nestling his nose into the nape of her neck, taking in the scent of her hair. She could feel him trembling. She was trembling too. Seeing Inuyasha up close was worse than seeing him from afar. His shorn black hair was stringy and unkempt. His normally pristine skin now had scars, and he was covered with a sheen of dirt and blood. His neck where the collar once lay had a maroon tint to it. Kagome gulped and wondered if her reiki blast had been responsible.

“Your reiki didn’t do this to him,” Kikyo replied, having overheard Kagome’s thoughts, but she didn’t mind the intrusion. Kikyo and Kagome were grieving sisters at that moment.

“Inuyasha?” Mama interrupted Kagome’s meditation, “I made ramen.”

Inuyasha did not let go of her, but he did look up at Mama and nod. The family walked quietly into the house. Kagome could hear the news in the background, and realized that Mama and Souta were watching the explosion at the Demon Dojo, probably worried sick that Kagome had not escaped.

“What happened?” Mama asked quietly as everyone sat down at the table and served each a bowl of ramen. Kagome noticed there was one empty table setting.

“The news is saying that a collar malfunctioned, and one of the demons went completely insane,” Souta said in a low voice.

“He… died on his own terms,” Inuyasha muttered, still holding onto Kagome as if his life depended on it.

“They… think you’re both dead now,” Souta leaned into Inuyasha to say, sympathy in his eyes, “Makes it easier for you to… decide what you want to do.”

Inuyasha stared into his ramen, not wanting to look at anyone, but his body leaned even closer to Kagome. Kagome’s heart lurched seeing him look so completely lost. Without saying a word, she grabbed Inuyasha’s chopsticks. She pinched them together to gather up ramen noodles, then brought them to his mouth. Inuyasha’s lost look gave way to surprise, but he opened his mouth and let her feed him. The Higurashis continued their subdued conversations about the future, the well, everything as Kagome fed Inuyasha his ramen, first the noodles, and then the broth.

“How did you know?” Kikyo’s voice broke Kagome’s concentration, but she did not stop feeding the broken half demon-turned-human who was still leaning against her.

_ Know what? _ Kagome spooned broth into Inuyasha’s waiting mouth.

“To feed him.” Kikyo looked lost and sad.

_ I don’t know. He just looked like he really needed someone to care for him, _ Kagome thought,  _ It was… instinct. _

“If you ever question whether you are the right or wrong person for Inuyasha,” Kikyo said sternly, “Remember this moment. He looks utterly broken Kagome, and yet, I sense something changing about him. Because you knew what he needed without thinking about it.”

“What’s the plan?” Gramps’s question broke Kagome from her Kikyo-induced thoughts, “Well or Canada?”

“The well first,” Kagome replied, “Canada if the well does not work.”

“The … well?” Inuyasha asked.

Kagome put down the spoon and ran her fingers through his short hair.

“We’ve been trying to force the well to return me to a time before the future became… this.” Kagome spoke softly, “But if I fail, we will get you to Canada, since demon subjugation is outlawed there.”

“Will you… come with me?” Inuyasha asked the question so earnestly, Kagome nearly wrapped her arms around him.

After sharing a loaded look with her family, Kagome answered, “yes.”  
Because she knew, if she failed to bend the well to her will, she wouldn’t leave Inuyasha’s side.

_ Never again _ , Kagome resolved.

After they'd finished tea, Kagome turned to her family, “Inuyasha will be staying in my room tonight.”

The fact that no one in her family so much as raised an eyebrow told Kagome all that she needed to know. Inuyasha had not let Kagome go since he’d come out of the trunk, and she was relieved to feel the tension of his fingers relax at her announcement.

“Hey, before we head to bed, how about a bath?” Kagome asked the question ardently, rolling her eyes at anyone who looked scandalized at her suggestion, including Inuyasha. He looked like he hadn’t had a real bath in years, and if there was anyone who understood the healing power of a good bath, it was Kagome.

_ I don’t care that it seems scandalous, _ Kagome scowled at Kikyo’s raised eyebrow,  _ I don’t care that we are trying to undo this future. I want this Inuyasha, the one who is here in front of me, to know that he is really truly loved. That we are here and will take care of him. _

“It’s probably been a long time,” Mama Higurashi smiled, clearly reading Kagome’s thoughts, “Kagome and I will prepare the water for you.”

Mama and Kagome walked up the stairs together, Inuyasha trailing behind, hand still firmly in Kagome’s. Gramps and Souta could be heard below cleaning up the kitchen. Her mother always knew. She got the distinct impression that Mama understood her motivation, and knew exactly how to diffuse the worried look on Gramps’s and Souta’s faces. She knew Inuyasha would refuse to go anywhere without her, and that he would likely refuse the bath were it only himself and Kagome. It seemed Mama understood. Kagome wondered if Inuyasha ever had anyone care for him like this. Perhaps his mother or Kikyo?

“Inuyasha and I never… well.. we never.” Kikyo had a pink hue just above her nose. Leave it to Kikyo to read exactly into Kagome’s thoughts.

_ Um, thanks for that. But that is not what this is about. This is about helping someone who has spent centuries experiencing only violence remember what tenderness feels like. It’s about remembering being loved. _ Kagome lectured the woman in her soul. Kikyo looked at Kagome with both reverence and shame.

“Uh… um.” Inuyasha stuttered, but the Higurashi women only turned to give him matching loving looks. Inuyasha needed love - love from a family, something he never got to experience after his mother died.

The three walked into the bathroom, and Kagome turned on the bathwater, remembering that Inuyasha didn’t like it too hot. Mama busied herself grabbing the fluffiest towels from the linen shelf, then left and grabbed one of Gramps’s old robes.

“How long do you think you’ll look human?” Mama Higurashi asked as she returned with a bright red terry cloth robe.

“I don’t know… when someone did it before, it was… a couple hours,” Inuyasha spoke softly, still testing out his rusty voice.

_ I wish he knew he could say your name, _ Kagome mused at Kikyo.

“You two have a lot to talk about tonight,” Kikyo replied.

_ You mean the three of us, _ Kagome insisted,  _ You are back in my soul. We don’t have to pretend you’re not here. You were as important to him as I ever was. _

“I may have spent many more time with him, but it was always you Kagome,” Kikyo sighed, “It did not take long to find out there was no way to rekindle everything we’d lost. I was the walking dead, not entirely human, feeding on borrowed souls to exist. His heart, even when he first came to me, was your’s, and even after all those decades of fighting Naraku together, that never changed. Besides, even when I was human… I would never have thought to.. to do what you are doing...”

Kagome lingered on Kikyo’s sad face for a moment.

_ If we reset the past, what is it that you most want?  _ Kagome realized she’d never actually asked Kikyo that question.

“To be at peace.” Kikyo murmured, “Even now, I linger. Naraku is gone. The Shikon jewel is gone. Yet, I am here. I wonder what it will take for me to be able to… rest.”

_ I will help you.  _ Kagome smiled inwardly, for Kikyo, but noticed that Inuyasha’s violet eyes had also caught her smile.

“How’s the water?” Kagome turned her attention back onto Inuyasha, who put a hand into the water.

“It’s nice…” Inuyasha didn’t take his intense gaze away from her, even while testing the water.

“Well, disrobe and get in. Kagome and I will close our eyes until you tell us it’s okay,” Mama Higurashi cooed, sounding as if she was talking to a young boy rather than a centuries-old half-demon.

Inuyasha nodded apprehensively, and both Kagome and her mother closed their eyes. Inuyasha let Kagome’s hand go for a split second. They heard a splash, and Kagome felt his hand return to her’s immediately. She smiled.

“R-ready…” Inuyasha sounded both embarrassed and shy, but Kagome heard a thread of joy in his voice as well. She opened her eyes.

Inuyasha did not exactly fit in the tub, but he did his best. Kagome made sure to avoid looking at the parts of his body she… was very tempted to look at. Now was not the time for thinking about that. So she looked at Inuyasha’s eyes. They looked haunted, but also full of relief.

“Kami, the light is already coming back into them,” Kikyo commented, Kagome smiled when she saw that Kikyo was right. It was only the tiniest spark, but it was there.

“You have a really sensitive nose, don’t you?” Mama was not phased at all by the man currently in their bathtub, “We have unscented soap if that’s--”

“Kagome’s shampoo.” Inuyasha blurted it out without really thinking, which unfortunately meant both Higurashi women started to chuckle.

“It’s going to be a lot stinkier for you than when it’s on me!” Kagome tried to tame her laughter, but failed.

“I haven’t smelled your shampoo for fucking centuries, I can handle an overload now,” Inuyasha’s voice was a bit more confident now, and as Kikyo had noted, his eyes were brightening every second, “Besides, I’m still human.”

“I’ll do it,” Kagome exclaimed, grabbing her favorite shampoo, “Mama… can you scrub the dirt off his feet?”

“I hope you’re not ticklish Inuyasha,” Mama giggled, and Kagome watched as Inuyasha shared a shy smile with her mother.

Kagome added a dab of her shampoo, and carefully worked it into Inuyasha’s hair. She saw a faint pink color in the lather, and choked down her anger at the crusted blood no one bothered to have rinsed out. Instead, she focused on using her fingers to massage his scalp. To project her love (but not her reiki) into Inuyasha’s skin. To scrub away as much of the pain and suffering as she could. All the pain and suffering that  _ her _ choice had caused him.

“Stop that thinking right now,” Kikyo as usual broke in when Kagome attempted to blame herself, “We are going to fix this. Together. For him. And blaming yourself is not going to force the well to listen…”

_ Yes Kikyo-SENSEI _ , Kagome retorted. 

“Why do you keep getting those weird looks on your face?” Inuyasha’s voice broke Kagome’s inner dialogue.

“I’ll tell you later tonight,” Kagome looked sheepishly at her mother.

Mama Higurashi, for her part, did not inquire. Kagome suspected that Mama had an intuition about her strange behavior (beyond the whole being in the wrong timeline thing), but being the amazing mom she was, she never asked her daughter about it. Once both women were satisfied that Inuyasha had been cleansed of at least the dirt and blood, they offered him their fluffy towels, as well as Gramps’s old robe. Both closed their eyes as Inuyasha dried himself off and threw on the robe. Kagome tried to leave (she wanted to change into her pajamas), only to hear the saddest whimper come out of Inuyasha’s mouth before he grabbed her hand. Kagome’s chest hurt from the realization that even now, Inuyasha couldn’t handle being without her touch.

“I left a set of your father’s old pajamas on your bed,” Mama smiled, then pulled Inuyasha in for an all-encompassing hug, “It’s good to see you Inuyasha. Know that you are  _ always _ welcome in our home. You’re family. We will protect you.”

“Thanks… Mrs. Higurashi,” Inuyasha stuttered, but Kagome did not miss the tears in his eyes. Mama ran her fingers through Inuyasha’s hair, let out a little sigh, then turned and left.

“Come on, I bet this is going to be the first time in a long time you’ve gotten to sleep in a real bed,” Kagome squeezed Inuyasha’s hand, “Tonight you can tell me anything, and you can ask me anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like this chapter, maybe because I was surprised at Kagome as I wrote it and her. Because feeding and bathing Inuyasha to show him that she loved him felt so natural. Mama Higurashi has the same instincts as her daughter, and so the two of them just... knew what the sweet broken half-demon needed. Tenderness.


	9. Tears of a Half Demon

There were a lot of things Inuyasha had dreamed about doing if he ever got free of the fucking Demon Dojo. Finding Kagome was the first thing on that list. Being bathed by Kagome and her mother had  _ not _ been on that list, but when it happened, it was the most wonderful thing he could have imagined.

Laying there in the bath naked before the woman he loved and her mother. At first he thought it was going to be embarrassing, but it wasn’t. Everything about the way they touched him was tender, reminding him that he was a person who deserved tenderness. They looked at the dirt and blood that he could never completely get off his skin with concern and anger on his behalf, then worked until it was gone. Kagome scrubbing his hair with her shampoo was something he would burn into his memories forever. He was still human, but having her scent on him left him clinging to a happiness he thought died during the years trapped in that never-ending fight with his brother.

His fucking brother. Fucking  _ Sesshomaru _ , the lord of assholes, the prince of ice, sacrificed himself so Inuyasha could escape. How the hell had the old man known Kagome was coming?  _ Fuck, that’s why he didn’t want me transforming. _ His brother died so he could live. His brother ended his life on his own terms, taking out most of the shithole that imprisoned them, and his brother saved him.

And fucking Mama Higurashi. Even after all these years, he remembered her reaching up to rub his ears the first time she met him. He remembered how he was welcomed into their house without prejudice. Even as Gramps kept tossing sutras at him, it seemed no one laughed at him, they laughed at Gramps. Mama Higurashi had called him  _ family _ . And Kagome had too. He lost his brother and gained the Higurashis. It was too much, all too fucking much.

“You doing okay?” Kagome looked at Inuyasha, who had frozen mid-button on his borrowed pajamas.

“Yeah…” Inuyasha wanted to say more, that this was the best he’d felt in hundreds of years, even as it was laced with his regrets.

Kagome was already in bed, motioning for him to join her. He hesitated for a moment. But in this house, no one was going to judge him, a fucking half-breed, for crawling into bed with her, and honestly, there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to hold her. His demon senses were starting to return, so he could smell her familiar scent, which was an okay substitute for her reassuring touch. But… that didn’t mean that he didn’t want that touch. Standing away from her, no longer touching her, was harder than he thought it should be. So he joined her. He laid his head on her lap, and she started running her fingers through his hair.

“Looks like you’re returning to normal,” Kagome beamed, “Don’t worry. I put up a barrier. No one is going to notice your youki.”

When the fuck had she learned to do that? Shit, when had she learned to shoot balls of reiki capable of hitting a goddamned collar? Or purifying him? The Kagome he remembered was proficient with a bow and arrow, but the skills she now had were those of a far more advanced miko. Like...

“How the fuck did you get so good at this reiki stuff?” Inuyasha couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t quite sure how long it had been since  _ she  _ last saw  _ him _ , but she looked exactly as he remembered her (and she was one face that he’d never forget). It did not seem possible that enough time had passed for her to do the things she’d done.

“I had… help,” Kagome whispered, so low that he knew she meant it for his half-demon hearing only, “You see, Kikyo returned to my soul and is… sort of… here.”

Of all the possible things that Kagome could have said to Inuyasha, this was the… last thing he expected. Or honestly hoped. The woman he chose to protect -  _ Kikyo _ \- he knew shared a soul with Kagome, who was her reincarnation. But it never dawned on him that their soul bond could mean that somehow, in the future, Kikyo would return to Kagome’s soul… as Kikyo.

“She’s currently laughing at the look on your face, I told her that was unkind,” Kagome said sheepishly, “But, yes. Several weeks ago, after I returned the shards I had to Kaede… I woke up and the future was… different. And there was Kikyo, looking exactly the same, staring at me telling me that something went horribly wrong in the past. Turns out, I made a choice that changed the future, and when I made that choice, Kikyo’s fate became entangled with mine. So, apparently I reabsorbed her soul.”

Inuyasha wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. All those years ago, he chose Kikyo. Then Kagome left him, so he left  _ everyone _ to fulfill his vow. And now, Kagome had returned to him, and so had Kikyo. No wonder everything felt so fucked - because he was an idiot and fucked up the future.

“I never should have left you,” Inuyasha looked into Kagome’s loving eyes, “I fucked everything up because I left you Kagome.”

“No Inuyasha,” Kagome returned his gaze, “The person who did this was me. I left those stupid shards with Kaede and made everyone think I was never coming back…”

“Would you… have… come back?” Inuyasha didn’t know why he asked.

“Yes. Without a doubt. But I let my broken heart get the best of me… and then… it was too late,” Kagome’s luminous chocolate eyes started to glisten with tears.

“Broken… heart?” Inuyasha wanted to be absolutely sure she was saying what he thought she was saying.

“Well, duh. I’m in love with you  _ idiot _ ,” Kagome scoffed (not unkindly), but her tears did not subside, “I… didn’t understand. I didn’t understand your choice. Kikyo yelled at me for a good week about it; that you didn’t know you could choose to protect her  _ and _ be by my side.”

“I… could?” Inuyasha knew that they were rehashing a centuries-old fight, but he couldn’t help it.

“Yes,” Kagome said simply, “Honestly, even before Kikyo returned to my soul, I’m sure that all of us would help you keep your vow to her. Naraku was after Kikyo too, and she was such a big part of your life. We would never let harm come to her if we could help it.”

“But… she tried to kill you,” Inuyasha scowled, “And she had a part of your soul. And you always were so upset when I went to see her.”

“Well… I was jealous,” Kagome said it with such ease that Inuyasha tensed up, when the fuck had Kagome become so introspective?, “I was sad because I thought your heart belonged to Kikyo… So I was upset. But I would never let that jealousy mean harming someone else. Plus, Kikyo has apologized to me for trying to kill me. We’re in a good place. Kikyo  _ is _ a part of my soul, rather than  _ has _ a part of my soul.”

Someone could have told Inuyasha that frog demons had taken over the moon and that would be more plausible than the words that came out of Kagome’s mouth. She loved him? She was jealous because she thought Kikyo still had his heart? She willingly vowed to protect Kikyo? Fuck. Each sentence made Inuyasha’s heart hurt more. He did this. If he had come through the well to yell at Kagome to come back instead of running away like a coward, he would not have suffered hundreds of years… and maybe everyone he ever knew and loved would not have died. Maybe… there was hope.

“So, you may be able to… unfuck the future?” as Inuyasha replayed the conversations of the day back in his mind, hoping that his ears had not deceived him.

“I am trying to get the well to send me back to when I left those shards with Kaede.” Kagome broke eye contact, and Inuyasha could smell apprehension come into her scent, “We think that… if I return to the right moment in time, I can  _ undo _ what has happened.”

“It would mean… that I would no longer exist,” Inuyasha thought about that for a bit, “Well, at least not  _ this _ me.”

Kagome nodded, “In the future I remember, demons were  _ not _ enslaved. And both Kikyo and I think that that was the  _ right _ future. One where the battle with Naraku was not fought by every monk and miko in Japan, where the Shikon jewel disappeared from existence without causing such suffering. But yes… it means that  _ this _ you will no longer exist.”

“Do you… do you think that we could save Sango and Miroku? And Shippo and Kirara?” Inuyasha tried to keep excitement out of his voice, “And Kikyo and Sesshomaru…?”

“I don’t know…” Kagome admitted, “But I will be by your side, no matter what happens.”

“F-Fuck Kagome...,” Inuyasha couldn’t hold his tears in any longer, not now. Not after all the grief and suffering. Not when her scent soothed him and made him feel safe. Made him feel  _ loved. _

“Shhhhh,” Kagome whispered to him, leaning down and placing the gentlest kiss on the crown of his head, “I’m here. Kikyo is here. We’re here for you now. And Inuyasha, I will be here for you  _ forever _ .”

It was Kagome’s promise that caused Inuyasha to let go, and he cried. He let every bit of sorrow escape him. He grieved his friends. He grieved Kikyo and his brother. He whispered all the regrets he had - of the feeling of emptiness as he buried Miroku and Sango’s bodies. He whispered of his longing to find where he belonged again, and his sorries to Kikyo for failing to protect her. He grieved for leaving Kagome, and for making her feel like he didn’t care about her.

Kagome for her part simply listened, running her fingers through his hair and rubbing his ears, telling him over and over that he was forgiven, that he was  _ loved _ . And finally, he was exhausted. Being there in Kagome’s arms, for the first time since he’d been in his mother’s arms, Inuyasha felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Whatever was to come, he knew he was loved.

“Tomorrow Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered, “Let’s see if we can’t get that fucking well working right.”  
“Are you… sure?”  
“More sure than I have been of anything in a really long time.”

Inuyasha buried his head deeper into Kagome’s embrace, and purred as she stroked him. He was loved, and in this fucked up future, that was really all he needed.


	10. The Will of the Well

Kagome stared desperately into the well. She’d risen well before sunrise, leaving Inuyasha asleep in her bed. Mama had promised to let him know where she was the second he woke up, but she did not want to disturb what was likely his first peaceful sleep in centuries. Unfortunately, the well was not budging. True, the sky still appeared on the other side, but somehow she knew that it had not bent to her will.

“What must I do to convince you to change for me?” Kagome begged the well, “You know this future is not right and I know this future is not right. That’s why … you resisted me when I tried to climb back through the day I left the shards with Kaede.”

Kikyo was standing across from her, also staring determinedly down the well.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have rescued Inuyasha,” Kikyo lamented.

Kagome’s look carried enough fury that Kikyo flinched as if she’d been slapped.

_ You will NEVER say something like that again,  _ Kagome felt rage rising inside of her,  _ I have no regrets about saving him. None. _

“But… now that you know he’s safe, do you still have the motivation to force the well to right itself?” Kikyo at least had the decency to look sheepish as she asked the question.

_ The red marks around his neck will never disappear. He will never get to see his friends again. He will never get to spend time with his brother as a free man. _ Kagome snapped back.

“But he has you now,” Kikyo sighed, “He has come back to you…”

_ His coming back to me after hundreds of years of torture is not a price I am willing to accept,  _ Kagome shouted in her thoughts,  _ Being with him will never be worth what this universe put him through. _

“So… if in the other future, the right future, he does not come back to you, you are okay with that?” Kikyo asked, and Kagome realized that this had been the point all along. To challenge her to really and truly think about what could be holding Kagome back.

_ I hate you. _ Kagome lied, mostly because Kikyo was right.

What was the answer? Kagome knew in her soul that having Inuyasha back in her life like this was not worth the price. She needed to  _ accept _ that the Inuyasha she was returning to was the right one, but also the one whose heart was still stuck on Kikyo.

“Kagome!” a panicked shout came from the house.

“Here Inuyasha,” Kagome called back immediately, but Inuyasha had already thrown open the door to the well house, “Mama was supposed to let you know where I’d gone…”

Inuyasha had already closed the distance between them, pressing her into his arms.

“Sorry dear,” a breathless Mama Higurashi followed Inuyasha in, “He was out the window before I could tell him where you were.”

“I would never leave without telling you Inuyasha,” Kagome said the words, and flinched. That was  _ exactly _ what got them into this mess.

“I… I thought it was all a dream. When you weren’t there…” Inuyasha buried his head in Kagome’s hair, “I thought I was gonna wake up in that shithole…”

Kagome ran her fingers through Inuyasha’s hair, “I’m sorry Inuyasha, I shouldn’t have left you.”

She should  _ never _ have left him. She felt the remorse of it all like a knife to her chest. She’d left him. She left him thinking she would never return and he’d been beaten and enslaved. He’d lost everyone, everything.  _ She would never leave him again. _

The well listened to her heart, but it did not yet budge. It was still waiting for something.

“Want breakfast?” Kagome continued to stroke Inuyasha’s hair, “I’ve not eaten yet. I wanted to get an early start on the well.”

Inuyasha nodded, but did not let go. Mama had rice, fresh fish, and miso out for the two to eat. Like the previous dinner, Kagome fed Inuyasha. She had not realized her decision to get an early start could rattle him so much, and felt terrible. Even with the hope and light that had returned to him, he was still a shell of his former self.

“I won’t… leave you,” Kagome looked into his eyes, and said it with such force that he stopped chewing the rice she’d shoveled into his mouth, “Ever.”

That was her lesson. Right there. Her destiny was to be by his side. She was meant to be with Inuyasha. Meant to keep him close to his friends. And so, the promise became a vow.

“So, even if Inuyasha chooses to continue protecting me, you will stay by his side?” Kikyo challenged, but she looked relieved.

_ Yes. _ Kagome replied.  _ I will _ .

“Then I think we need to get back to the well,” Kikyo assented as Kagome scooped the last bit of her own rice into her mouth.

Kagome’s throat clenched as she and Inuyasha walked back to the well house. Did returning to the past and fixing the future mean abandoning this Inuyasha? The thought sickened her. If she undid this future, then he would no longer exist. It was almost like she was killing him.

“What’s on your mind?” Inuyasha saw through the haunted look in Kagome’s eyes.

“Just… I will never leave you. But also… turning the well back, it… it…” Kagome could feel a tear come to her eye.

“It gives me a second chance,” Inuyasha said it tenderly, then ran his claws through Kagome’s hair, “Fuck Kagome… the idea that you might save me and give me the chance to be with you every fucking day of my life is enough.”

“But this you won’t exist,” Kagome sniffled, finally letting out the sobs that she’d held in since she’d saved him.

“A small price to pay to be with you,” Inuyasha leaned his forehead to her’s, “Shit, I’d probably get a hell of a lot longer with Sango, Miroku and Shippo too. You have no idea what that means to me…”

“Inuyasha…” Kagome didn’t know what else to say, so she let herself collapse into his arms, and let herself cry. She grieved for her choice, grieved for her friends, grieved for Sesshomaru ending his life on his own terms, grieved for Kikyo’s wish to rest, and grieved for Inuyasha, “I… I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be. You saved my life Kagome,” Inuyasha held her, his voice serene, “I’m not really dying after all, I’m getting to live. I’m getting to end this miserable fucking existence on my own terms. In your arms, remembering that I am loved.”

“And I get a second chance for my soul to find rest,” Kikyo looked at Kagome, who was still in Inuyasha’s arms. Kikyo was smiling.

“Let’s do this… together,” Inuyasha walked around Kagome, so both were facing the well, “Maybe if it hears us together, it will finally let you go back and unfuck things.”

Kagome nodded, then placed her hands onto the edge of the well. She saw that Kikyo, in spite of being a spectre, did the same thing. Then finally, she felt two clawed hands atop her own, Inuyasha’s warmth suffused her body.

As the three prayed, united in their singular purpose, the well finally listened.


	11. Resetting the Future

It was subtle, nothing more than a change in the wind, but Kagome knew that it had worked. It was morning on both sides of the well; Kagome wondered if she had enough time. She needed to go through the well  _ now _ .

“MAMA?” Kagome called her mother, but refused to take her eyes off the well. As soon as Mama arrived back in the well house, Kagome looked at Inuyasha, knowing she needed to go, but wishing she did not.

“Kagome…” Inuyasha’s words pulled her deeply into his haunted eyes. He understood.

“I love you,” Kagome said it powerfully.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened at her admission, but he did not back away. Instead, he leaned into her, placing his lips on hers. Kagome closed her eyes and savored the feel of them. It was a kiss that communicated everything they needed to say. Of centuries apart and missed chances. Of hope. Of the love that 500 years did not quell. When they opened their eyes, they both understood.

“I love you too,” Inuyasha spoke the words softly, reverently, and Kagome knew that he was at peace, for the first time in centuries. It was time.

“If this doesn’t work, I promise you that I will be back. You’re family Inuyasha. The Higurashis take care of family,” Kagome whispered, stroking his cheek possibly for the last time.

She threw a knowing glance at her mother, turned back to the well, closed her eyes, then jumped. She held onto Inuyasha’s hand until the last possible moment. The timeslip pulled her in and she landed at the bottom of the well on the other side. She climbed up as quickly as she could, smelling the fresh air of Sengoku Jidai for the first time in over a month. Kikyo was still with her, so she took off at a sprint. If she intercepted Kaede before anyone found out she’d left the shards, she would prevail. Kagome prayed she could do it. As she ran, it felt like some force was propelling her forward, making her steps lighter and her breaths less labored.

“Kaede!” Kagome plunged herself through the doorway, nearly giving the old woman a heart attack. Kaede for her part was just waking up for the day, “Has anyone been to see you yet? Do you still have the shards?”

“No one child, and yes,” Kaede looked suspiciously at her, “I thought you said…”

“I was wrong. I made the wrong choice,” Kagome said, her relief palpable, “I will always come back.”

Kaede laughed raucously at Kagome’s declaration. Kagome wasn’t sure, but she had the distinct impression that Kaede never really believed she would permanently leave in the first place.

“Please… I need to get back, but… if anyone is looking for me, tell them that I will be at the well,” Kagome smiled as Kaede nodded, then took off back for the well, shards in hand.

She covered the distance back to the well slightly slower this time, but she could swear that she felt lighter. Kagome turned around to look for Kikyo, so they could celebrate the moment.

But Kikyo was gone.

_ Did I do it? _ Kagome had to know. She jumped back through the time slip, and came out of the well. Kagome looked around. Inuyasha was gone. Kagome rushed toward the house, needing to confirm that she had done it. As she burst through the door, she nearly ran into a very surprised Mama Higurashi.

“Mama!” Kagome halted her momentum just in time, “Is Inuyasha here?”

“Oh! Did you invite Inuyasha to have breakfast with us dear?” Mama looked puzzled at her daughter’s weird behavior, which Kagome didn’t help by laughing with the type of relief that she hadn’t felt in over a month.

But then her breath hitched, Inuyasha was gone. Inuyasha would not suffer centuries of torture anymore, but Inuyasha was gone.

“Uhm, no Mama. I actually need to grab a couple supplies and head back, “ Kagome sighed.

Mama pulled Kagome in close, “Remember what we talked about my love. Do what you think is right.”

Though it was clear she was now back in the future she remembered, Kagome absorbed Mama’s words.

“I will Mama,” Kagome vowed,  _ I will stay by Inuyasha’s side. _

And so, Kagome headed back to the well house, and leapt in. She closed her eyes, and tried to rewind past everything that had happened in the other timeline. She rewound past Inuyasha’s pain, past Sesshomaru’s last stand, past her family’s dedication to liberating demons, past Kikyo’s interventions, and finally, reluctantly past Inuyasha’s  _ peace _ , back to the time she’d left Kaede with the shards.

The reason for her initial choice seemed so petty now. Of  _ course  _ Inuyasha couldn’t abandon Kikyo. Neither could she. So she was not going to let him feel like he had to lose her to keep his vow to protect Kikyo. Why had it seemed so hard?

_ Because I’m in love with him,  _ Kagome sighed, relieved not to hear Kikyo in her mind,  _ But… now that I know what could happen, a vow to stay by his side doesn’t seem so bad. _

Sure, she knew she would be jealous and hurt when he ran to Kikyo. She would probably never completely stop comparing herself to the dead miko who shared her soul, but now she understood. She was  _ meant _ to be by Inuyasha’s side, because that was the only way that the future worked out the way it was supposed to. It was her destiny. And so, she sat at the well and she waited.

When she saw the red and silver figure of the man she loved walking toward her, Kagome couldn’t help but feel both excited for the future that was meant to be, and to mourn the Inuyasha that now never was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I have been going back and forth on whether Kagome and (future) Inuyasha kiss. At first, I thought that it would be sad to spoil their real "first kiss" moment in the manga (at the very very end), but then again, a movie already did that to us.
> 
> So... I realized that after centuries of waiting for her, of loving her, and knowing that this was the last chance he had to be with her, I let Inuyasha and Kagome kiss. It reminds Kagome in the fraught moment that is to come (bc she is offering to stay by his side after he "chose" Kikyo) not to give up hope that he can love her back.


	12. A Promise From the Soul(s)

Inuyasha had stayed with them. That was all that mattered. Miroku and Sango rolled their eyes and Shippo made a big show of “Kagome always being so forgiving of that two-timing Inuyasha”. Inuyasha for his part looked sheepish and ashamed, but did not even try to leave the group. Kagome was quieter than normal, making every effort not to reveal anything about the future that never was. That everyone assumed it was Inuyasha’s fault was a reprieve, and allowed her to remain unconfronted about her mood.

Kagome was grateful that Inuyasha kept his distance. She couldn’t tell him that she still grieved for his future self, a self that would never come to be. She desperately hoped that in his place would be an Inuyasha whose life was far less defiled by tragedy. In the corner of her mind, she wondered if this would be her secret and her secret alone, or if there was another who may share her sorrow.

It took a few days, but finally the moment Kagome had hoped would come had arrived. Kagome wondered if there were any residual memories once Kikyo’s soul separated from her again, since she remembered everything that happened in both timelines. The familiar glow of soul collectors that appeared in the sky around her bolstered her hope that she would not have to bear the burden alone. Kagome followed the collectors serenely, passing through the barrier. Kikyo was sitting in a tree, carrying a strange look on her face.

“I hoped you would summon me,” Kagome looked into Kikyo’s eyes, “I’m grateful. It saved me the effort of seeking you out.”

“So… you feel it too?” Kikyo questioned. Kagome had the distinct impression that Kikyo was studying her intently, but honestly, Kagome didn’t have anything to hide.

“Something happened between our shared soul, which might explain the strange feeling you have,” Kagome replied, “You see, your soul returned to me for about 6 weeks… while I tried to fix the future.”

“The future?” Kikyo raised an eyebrow, but made no sign that she doubted Kagome’s words.

“I made… a bad choice. And… when I returned to the future, it was… wrong. My choice set off a series of events that changed the course of history. I fixed it eventually, but some things that happened there changed me,” Kagome explained, “You helped me. A lot.”

“That would explain why I feel different…” Kikyo looked off in the distance,  _ looks like her signature coldness is back. _

“I made you a promise.” Kagome did not take her eyes off the miko in the tree, “That I would help you find peace.”

Kikyo jerked her head back to Kagome at her words, her eyes wide. Kagome got the distinct impression that she’d just parroted one of Kikyo’s deepest secrets back to her.

“But my vow doesn’t stop there,” Kagome continued, “Inuyasha has made a vow to protect you. I just wanted you to know that I consider myself part of that vow. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe too.”

“Why.” Kikyo sounded as stoic as Sesshomaru, but Kagome could see a storm of emotions in her eyes.

“For a lot of reasons,” Kagome shrugged, “Because Inuyasha would be in incredible pain if he loses you. Because no one deserves to be hunted down by the likes of Naraku. And… because it is the right thing to do.”

Kikyo looked at Kagome as if she was an alien. Luckily, sharing a soul with the woman for 6 weeks meant Kagome could decipher the gaze - specifically it was the ‘you are more special than you think’ gaze. Kagome smiled.

“I do have one request for you,” Kagome stated, “I really want to avoid the dystopian hell future that I accidentally set off…”

“What is your request?” Kikyo’s look betrayed her interest.

“Make sure Inuyasha stays with his friends,” Kagome said it earnestly, “I have vowed to stay by his side. And I will do so, no matter what he chooses for himself. But, the future I saw… was a future that came into being because Inuyasha stopped having faith in his friends. If … something happens to me, please don’t let him abandon them.”

“You will stay by Inuyasha… even if his choices break your heart?” Kikyo challenged, “And how are you so sure that Inuyasha staying with his friends is the key to the future?”

“I just am… My choosing to leave was what changed the future in the first place. Kikyo, you can feel it. He returned to you, and you two fought Naraku for decades. Something happened to Miroku and Sango only a week after he abandoned his friends, and he never recovered,” Kagome pleaded, “You were the one who told me that. And we both saw Inuyasha… what would become of him… if he lost his friends.”

Kikyo looked away from Kagome again, clearly considering what she said. After a few moments, Kikyo returned her gaze.

“I hope it never comes to that,” Kikyo’s gaze grew warm, “But if it does, I promise I will make sure that Inuyasha never leaves his friends.”

“Thank you,” Kagome smiled.

“Kagome?” Kikyo drifted down from the tree, “Was I really a part of your soul?”

“Yeah. We rescued Inuyasha from a terrible fate… together,” Kagome put her hand on Kikyo’s shoulder.

“Well… it is good to understand better why my soul feels different,” Kikyo looked into Kagome’s eyes.

“ _ Our _ soul,” Kagome said kindly.

Then Kikyo smiled, and the women understood each other.

“Kagome?” Kikyo looked unsure, “Do you really think... you will be able to help me find peace?”

“I do,” Kagome answered, and she was sure that she would, “I promise.”

Kikyo and Kagome then simply nodded, and Kagome took her leave. The Kikyo of this time was no longer her ‘sister’, but Kagome left knowing the two now had a comfortable understanding of one another, one that was destined to reshape their relationship. Kikyo shared Kagome’s burden of knowing the future that never was, the Inuyasha that never was.

As Kagome left Kikyo’s barrier, she was confronted by the panicked face of Inuyasha. Kagome stifled the chuckle that tried to escape her lips.

“You alright?” Inuyasha looked apprehensive.  
“I am.” Kagome replied simply, “Kikyo and I had a much-needed talk.”  
“What did you talk about?”  
“The future.”

As they walked back to camp, Inuyasha’s grumbling and needling fell on deaf ears. For in Kagome’s mind, everything was finally back to how it was meant to be.


End file.
